This video was created by an OSUCOM 2015 graduate, Benjamin Romney, and is directed to med students and pre-meds contemplating their career options. It highlights the unique aspects of a career in family medicine.
What is Primary Care?
The provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the contex of family and community
- Institute of Medicine
Studies have shown that countries that emphasize primary care have better health outcomes at lower costs. Primary care is the backbone of the health care system. Especially with the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, health care reform is moving in the direction of primary care being at the forefront of improving health care delivery and making our system more effective.
The primary care specialties include family medicine, general internal medicine, pediatrics, combined medicine/pediatrics, and obstetrics/gynecology.
What is Family Medicine?
Of the primary care specialties, family medicine provides care for nearly a quarter of all primary care visits in the country. Family physicians provide comprehensive health care from birth to death ("womb to tomb") integrating the biological, clinical, and behavioral sciences for all ages, genders, organ systems, and disease entities
The key to this specialty is the patient-physician relationship that spans over a person's lifetime, giving family physicians the opportunity to pay special attention to their patients' health in the context of their entire life, such as family, community, etc.
Why go into Family Medicine?
- Family physicians are in demand! Family medicine has been shown to reduce health care costs while increasing health care quality. In the United States we are in a shortage of family physicians and will continue to be in this shortage for years to come
- According to Merrit, Hawkins & Associates, family physicians have been the most recruited physicians for hospitals, medical groups, and health care organizations for eight years in a row
- It is an incredibly rewarding career perfect for those medical students who love to work with all age groups, and those who enjoyed pretty much every one of their rotations during medical school
- There are many opportunities for scholarship & loan repayment for medical students interested in family medicine and other primary care specialties. Including the Choose Ohio First Scholarships & National Health Service Corps
As a medical student you should check out Responses to Medical Students' Frequently Asked Questions About Family Medicine.